Kota Kinabalu: The 2026 Sabah Basketball Association (Saba) Annual General Meeting (AGM) concluded last Saturday with an optimistic outlook for the future of basketball in Sabah.
President Phan Chee Yong commenced the meeting by expressing his gratitude to the Tawau, Kinabatangan, Kota Kinabalu, Tenom and Lahad Datu Basketball Associations for their dedication in organising state and national tournaments, which play a crucial role in the development of the sport.
He called upon fellow member affiliates to extend their efforts in hosting events, urging them to take on the responsibility of promoting basketball at the state level.
According to him, the popularity of basketball in the State has led to a substantial rise in teams formed across both urban and rural locales.
Numerous basketball tournaments are now being organised, with some events experiencing record-breaking participation. As a result, it creates a strong support system to help develop better basketball players.
He also urged all associations’ leadership must pursue knowledge of the Malaysian Sports Development Act and adhere to the association’s constitution in light of recent controversies surrounding player loan arrangementsA confusion arose when two players, one from Sabah and the other from Labuan, represented Putrajaya without submitting the required official loan request letter to Saba and the respective affiliates.
He also highlighted the importance of annual report submissions for all affiliates. Six affiliates, who are currently facing revoked, frozen or suspended registrations are required to submit their overdue annual reports regardless of their status.
He cautioned that failing to comply could result in severe penalties from the Malaysian Sports Tribunal for anyone operating without a valid registration.
